Jan 22 - Black Mississippi Senators Walk Out On White Colleagues Over CRT
The historic, unprecedented walkout came over a vote on the academic theory that state education officials and Republican lawmakers acknowledge is not even taught in Mississippi.
Sen. Derrick T. Simmons during a corrections hearing Thursday, February 13, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America
Every Black Mississippi senator walked out of the chamber Friday, choosing not to vote on a bill that sponsors said would prohibit the teaching of critical race theory in the state’s public schools and colleges and universities.
The historic, unprecedented walkout came over a vote on the academic theory that state education officials and Republican lawmakers acknowledge is not even taught in Mississippi. Republicans hold supermajority control of the Senate, meaning they can pass any bill without a single Democratic vote.
“We walked out as a means to show a visible protest to these proceedings,” state Sen. John Horhn, D-Jackson, said of the unprecedented action.
In 1993, Black caucus members left before then-Gov. Kirk Fordice delivered his State of the State speech in protest of his policies. But no Capitol observer could recall an instance of members leaving en mass in protest before a vote on a bill.
“We felt like it was a bill that was not deserving of our vote,” said Sen. Derrick Simmons, D-Greenville. “We have so many issues in the state that need to be addressed. We did not need to spend time on this.
“Even the author of the bill (Michael McLendon, R-Hernando) said this was not occurring in Mississippi,” Simmons continued.
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McLendon, who handled the bill during more than 90 minutes of debate on the Senate floor, did concede that he could not point to an instance of critical race theory being taught in Mississippi.
He said he heard from many of his constituents who had learned of critical race theory “on the national news” and wanted to ensure it would not be taught in Mississippi.
McLendon said all his bill does is “prohibit a child or a student from being told they are inferior or superior to another.”
He said the bill would not prevent the teaching of history and of multiple instances of racism, segregation and violence that have occurred against African Americans and other minorities.
One flashpoint in the debate on Friday is that members, based on their life history, had differing definitions of critical race theory.
In general, critical race theory is an academic discipline that explores the impact of racism on society. But many in the conservative media have said critical race theory attempts to teach white students they are inferior to minority students.
Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, said critical race theory does not deal in facts, but instead in subjective theory. He said facts should be taught in public schools.
“Our kids need objective facts and not subjective notions of theory,” McDaniel said.
Black members said it was not supposition that systemic racism existed in America and still does in health care, the criminal justice system and in many other areas.
“We are the only state in the country that does not have a fair housing law,” Horhn said.
Sen. Barbara Blackmon, D-Canton, asked members why they would not listen to the concerns of the Black senators if all 14 of them were expressing doubts about the legislation. Still, no white Republican voted against the bill. A few did not vote. The only two white senators to vote against the bill were Democrats David Blount of Jackson and Hob Bryan of Amory.
“It is sad we are wasting so much time on something that is not even needed,” said Sen. David Jordan, D-Greenwood, a veteran of the Civil Rights movement and son of a sharecropper.
Jordan, a former public school teacher, added, “If anybody is suffering from racism it is people of color and we feel we don’t need this bill … We are satisfied without it. What do you need it for? We have been the victims of it.”
The fact that the Senate leadership took up the bill on a Friday was surprising. Often, legislative leaders avoid debates on controversial topics on Friday as they prepare to return home for the weekend.
Simmons said African American members did not know until Friday morning that Education Chair Dennis DeBar was taking up the controversial bill. They expressed concern that the bill erases the good will created in 2020 when the Legislature voted to remove the state flag that contained the Confederate battle symbol as a prominent part of its design.
“We cannot continue to stumble into the future backwards,” Jordan said. “That is what this bill does.”
America is run by white racist cowards…the covers being pulled back and they’re panicking now….What a time to be alive
if you're sending your kid to public school you're a fool. public school is for white women to succeed. and thats from someone who went to an elite school.
Id teach my black son or daughter to learn a trade and start a business.
Basically the black senators don't give a fu*k about the CRT bill as there are other far more pressing issues that need to be addressed
Only blanco people are taking this CRT bullsh*t to heart
People love getting worked up over nonsense
They banned something that's not even being taught in schools currently
Waste of time good for them to walk out
It's just something to show their base because they don't have anything else the things they want to push go against their constituents so they make up CRT and pass nonsense bills like this
Dunb a*s coons doing theatrics, but don't want to open up their black counties to gaming like the coast, don't want to do sh*t to actually help black mississippians stand on their own. The only thing they ever dream of is being a good token for white liberals.
I am cool with them not teaching about slavery
That’s why white kids start thinking they are better than everyone else.
Cause they see themselves as hero’s who conquered America
If they don’t get taught that they won’t think they are better than everyone else.
We might be on to something with this banning CRT thing.
Think about it the other way.
White kids get a watered down version of slavery that the black people did something bad and they deserved to be slaves ( some sh*t they would teach them)
It still seems like Critical Race Theory was created as something for people to attack and give reason for why real history should not be taught.
Most people have no clue what CRT is and have never had it taught, just like the politicians admit in this article. But they heard someone talk about it, and now its the biggest thing that everyone has to f*ght against.
It was never a real thing until the media pushed it.
Im glad they stood up for something instead of going along with the sh*t show...too many let's get along types for acceptance to refrain from confrontation instead of standing up for what's right.
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Jan 22 - Black Mississippi Senators Walk Out On White Colleagues Over CRT
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